Annual Site
Environmental Report for 2015

To our readers

The Idaho National Laboratory Site Environmental Report for Calendar Year 2015 is an overview of environmental management activities conducted on and in the vicinity of the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Site from January 1 through December 31, 2015. This report includes:

Effluent monitoring and environmental surveillance of air, water, soil, vegetation, biota, and agricultural products for radioactivity. The results are compared with historical data, background measurements, and/or applicable standards and requirements in order to verify that the INL Site does not adversely impact the environment or the health of humans or biota.

A summary of environmental management systems in place to protect air, water, land, and other natural and cultural resources impacted by INL Site operations.

Ecological and other scientific research conducted on the INL Site which may be of interest to the reader.

The report addresses three general levels of reader interest:

The first is a brief summary with a “take-home” conclusion. This is presented in the “Chapter Highlights” text box at the beginning of each chapter. There are no tables, fi gures, or graphs in the highlights. A lay person with little knowledge of science may comfortably read the Chapter Highlights.

The second level is a more in-depth discussion with fi gures, summary tables, and summary graphs accompanying the text. The chapters of the annual report represent this level, which requires some familiarity with scientifi c data and graphs. A person with some scientifi c background can read and understand this report after reading the section entitled “Helpful Information.”

The third level includes links to supplemental and technical reports and websites that support the annual report. This level is directed toward scientists who would like to see original data and more in-depth discussions of the methods used and results. The links to these reports may be found on this page or in the CD provided with the hard copy of this report.

In addition to the Environmental Surveillance, Education, and Research Program, which is managed by Wastren Advantage Inc., the contributors to the annual report include Battelle Energy Alliance (BEA), CH2M-WG Idaho (CWI), Department of Energy, Idaho Operations Offi ce (DOE-ID), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Links to their websites may be found on this page or in the CD provided with the hard copy of this report.